Remember Rio
by PrairieRose1017
Summary: Sonora is still forgetting some things from that horrific night three years ago. When she meets a pair of party birds will she remember her life before her near murdur? Read and find out! Rated T just because of slight paranoia.
1. Chapter 1: Should I?

**Hey guys! So this was my first ever fanfic that I posted, and after going on and writing my other stories, and getting stronger in my writing abilities, I decided to come back to my first stories, and do a few edits. I noticed some grammer flaws and such that were really bugging me, and I saw some lack of detail that needed to be fixed. So that's what I'm doing now. The story line is still the same, but there may be a few new scenes, added detail and such that I think you'll like. So anyway, enjoy!**

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><p><strong><span>Remember Rio<span>**

**Chapter 1**

**Should I?**

The usual morning samba was going on outside my little hollow, as I sat down for breakfast. All of the larger, brighter, birds were dancing and singing in midflight. This happened every morning, but this was the week of Carnival, and everyone was extra excited. Decorations were put up, sequins adorned every piece of human clothing, and the whole city buzzed with life.

I was just finishing up my breakfast of my usual ripe papaya when my friends burst through my door in a flurry of rainbow colored feathers. "Sonora! Sonora! Friday is Carnival! Aren't you excited?" They chirped after landing and catching their breath.

"What do you think?" I said masking every ounce of my excitement, and not turning around.

"Aw come on! Luís isn't here, and you don't have to worry about him at all. There are lots of nice guys out there! Just this morning I saw Fernando, and he asked me if I wanted to go to Carnival with him! I was ecstatic!" Patrice explained. Patty was a bright blue flycatcher, with black markings by her eyes making it look like she wore a mask. Her tail feathers were long, thin, and black and ended in a circle of iridescent blue.

"Oh Patty! How wonderful!" I replied. I was happy for her, as always, but I wish they'd just leave me alone about finding a guy. I liked standing on my own two claws. As I was thinking, I rung out the other half of the papaya to fill up three fern cups with the juice.

"And he's such a strong flyer too! What a lovely couple you'll make!" Josephine put in. She was a pretty scarlet macaw, who always wore a thin gold band around her leg. Josie said that humans gave it to her to make sure she was always ok.

"You should have seen him in the morning light, my dear Josie. Sunlight gleaming off his iridescent green feathers, usual twinkle in his eye… He was breathtaking!" She ruffles her blue feathers for dramatic effect. I hand them each a cup of juice and settle in a chair to listen to the Rio Gossip Gazette.

"Sounds lovely, but not all are like Fernando. Some try to kill you." I reminded them. Two years ago for Carnival, I had met what I thought to be a brilliant, strong, handsome, Spotted Owl named Luís. He had spoiled me with fancy food, shiny baubles, and loads of attention. I thought there couldn't be a better bird for me in the entire world.

The night of Carnival he came to pick me up and acted really funny. Telling me strange things like, "Take a last look around," and "Hope you don't miss this place." It was really weird so I had told him I was going to stay home. He didn't like that at all, and forced me out the door of my hollow. I kicked him in the shin and took off flying.

At this he had gotten furious. Just for the record, he was four times my size. I'm only a five inch tall yellow canary, with frail feathers, and a short wingspan; I'm rather fast in flight, but not faster than an owl. I tried to get away from Luís but he caught me, right after telling me that he was a smugglers bird and that if I didn't go with him I would be dead meat. I can't compare with a falcon when it comes to talons, but I always keep my claws sharp. I slashed the owl across the face, blinding his right eye.

My last chance to escape was to try and dive; so I folded my wings against my small body, and dropped like a rock. Luís followed and snatched me, cutting his long, deadly talons across my back in two parallel lines, and once across my throat. He had then left me for dead in rainforest.

Luckily Rafael, his friends, and my mother found me and were able to save me. If only just barely. Over the past two years feathers had tried their best to grow back over them, but they weren't sleek feathers. They were short, stubby, and kind of prickly, but they were yellow and they didn't show skin anymore.

"Like Patty said; Luís is gone." Josie interrupted my terrifying memories. "No one's seen him since that night. Not all males are like that! And I'm not letting you miss out on Carnival again." The macaw informed me, ruffling her own scarlet feathers. "You love it too much."

"At least go to Carnival with us. Pleeeeeaaaaaaaase!" Patty begged with her big brown eyes, and her wings clasped in front of her pleadingly.

"I have to go into town today to get some things." I said and stood. "I'll think about it and get back to you tomorrow." They smiled widely and shared a look.

"Alright. We'll see you bright and early then." With another flurry of feathers my friends were gone and I was alone again. I looked around at my hollow. There was a shiny piece of glass that I used as a mirror, my nest of course, and a couple of little chairs, and such I made out of stuff I found around the jungle and in Rio.

I rummaged through the sticks and grass I had used to build my nest until I found a seashell. It was a small clamshell, speckled on the top, but when turned over it was opalescent. Colors danced across the pearly surface as the sunlight hit it. My mother had given this to me on my sixteenth birthday. She had always wanted me to find a special someone like she had. After Luís, I felt like I had let her down.

Of course my parents had told me that they were just happy that I was alive, but they were like Patty and Josie. They wanted me to get back out there, and I was terrified. "Maybe they're right," I mumble, "Maybe Carnival is a good time to start over." I walk over to my mirror and smooth my sunshine yellow feathers so that it doesn't look like I just woke up. I smile and watch as my meadow green eyes sparkle, just a little. Around my eyes the feathers are a lighter yellow, because of this my eyes really tend to pop.

"I wonder if Rafael is home." I ask my reflection. "He can help me figure this out." I smile at the thought of seeing my friend again. I flit through my door, and close it tightly. Then the music hits me, and turns my wings into dancers, making me fly in elaborate patterns, dancing through the air. A few boys see me and whistle as I fly by, making me blush and wave to them. I don't dance for them though, I dance for the samba. Samba music makes my heart come alive and take over all of my being; I vaguely remember dancing like this with someone once.

I come to a large tree with a bird-made platform in the fork of two branches. "Rafael! Rafael its Sonora!" I call clinging to a vine near the ground.

"Sonora! My little friend! How are you?" A bright orange, red, and yellow beak peeks over the edge of the nest and a huge, black toucan settles in front of me. He wraps me in a hug and I settle on the ground.

"I'm fine. Feeling more and more excited for Carnival every second. I did receive a visit from Patrice and Josephine this morning…" I gave him a wry smile, "You didn't have anything to do with that did you?"

"Me?" He gasps, letting his deep voice crack. "I would never!"

"Uh-huh." I rolled my eyes and giggled. "Anyway, they got me thinking that I will go back to Carnival this year. I just feel…" I began to pace, my mind swirling with thoughts.

"Scared, excited, _and_ confused?" Rafael suggests with a shrug.

"Exactly!" I snap my feathers and turn back to the huge toucan. "I know nobody's seen Luís since that night," I ruffle my feathers feeling a slight chill, "but I have the strangest feeling that he's still around somewhere."

"I haven't heard anything, and you know me, hubbub is my reason for living." We burst out laughing. Rafael is the gossip bird if there ever was one. Any piece of trough-the-grape-vine news out there, anywhere, he knew about it.

"I know you would tell me if something was up." I hugged him. "Thanks for letting me talk. You're the only one I can talk to who really understands." I hug him again and rise off the ground. "How is Eva?" I ask.

"Why don't you come see." I quickly get out of his way as he flaps his enormous wings and spirals up to his nest. I perch on the edge and look across the nest to see Eva fluffed to about twice her size over a nest of, what I understand to be, three eggs.

"Why Sonora! It's so good to see you out of your nest. How have you been?" She exclaims and wraps her wings around me as I hop over to her..

"I've been fine; debating whether or not to go to Carnival this year." I tell her.

"Of course you have to go! You're young and fresh. You'll have to beat the boys off with a stick." The soon-to-be mother comforts me with a wink. I stretch to show my scars. She tisks her tongue, "I'm sure you've heard this a million times, but nobody's seen that devil owl. It's like he fell off the face of the earth."

"Wouldn't that be a blessing?" I groan sending up a prayer that it's true.

"I'll tell you what; if that owl comes around again I will _personally_ turn him into nesting material." Eva wrapped a wing around me and I smiled.

"You guys are amazing. Thank you for everything." I grin at them and walk back over to the edge of their platform nest. "I guess I'm off to town."

"Anytime you need us, we'll be there!" Rafael called. I stop and wave to show them that I had heard. Then I dove into a loop, and spun around in midflight performing a body roll. Flying was my freedom from everything that bothered me; my past, my nerves, my worries in general.

Wind rushing over my feathers, I started dancing again. I dove down and up and around performing a spiral. It used to be my signature move, until… I shivered and focused on the wind in my face, and smiled wide. I closed my eyes and feel the Rio sun warm my small, yellow body. I didn't have a care in the world right then and there.


	2. Chapter 2: Watch Out!

**And now for fixed chapter two! Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

**Watch Out!**

I stretched my wings and prepared for another loop when, suddenly, I am hit hard from the side. I dived immediately, and hid in an enormous yellow flower. My heart racing, I peeked out just to hear someone call harshly, "Hey! Watch where you're flying!"

"I'm sorry!" I shouted realizing I wasn't really in any danger. Looking up I see my "attacker" drifting down towards the flower. He was a canary like me, with a cream colored patch of feathers on his chest, and burnt brown tips on his wing tips and tail feathers. On his head rested a teal-green with wavy, ocean blue lines on it, bottle cap. It was slightly scuffed, and the edges were dulled down and a touch rusted, but that I hardly noticed because of his deep amber-brown eyes. They were playful and brimming with joy, something I had never seen in guys eyes.

He soared down and perched on a branch next to the flower with a wide smile, "I apologize for my friend's rudeness." He said in a voice like sweet, rich honey. Confused by my hiding place he cocks his head to the side, making the bottle cap fall over his one eye. By some strange instinct I reached up and pushed the hat back so I could see his eyes clearly, then I shook my head to clear it. This is exactly like what happened with Luís; a mock display to lure me in.

But this guy didn't look to terribly dangerous. In fact, just seeing him land by me made my heart pound. It was really strange and familiar all at the same time.

"It was my fault for flying with my eyes closed." I tell him not able to make my eyes meet his. There is something in me that warms to this bird; I feel like I know him, but don't.

"And what brilliant eyes they are." I hop out of the flower and stand next to him; face heated with a blush. "I'm Nico," He winks at me, "And my friend who ran into you is Pedro. We were just flying around looking for birds to take to our Carnival party Friday night. We run a club in town and welcome anyone." The canary smiles a crooked smile, "Especially anyone named…" He extends a wing to shake, but as I take it, he tightens my grip and spins me in close and dips me slightly. _Where have I seen that move before?_

I smile brightly at this bit of confidence, "Sonora's the name, party's my game." I say, trying to keep my heart from taking over for my head, and failing miserably as I fall into his eyes. Gently, he spins me out and we stand about three inches apart.

"Sonora's a beautiful name." Twirling the bottle cap on his flight feathers, and holding it against his chest, he locks his eyes with mine. They are warm pools of kindness and laughter, and they made me giggle. There's a spark of tender compassion in them as well; it makes my stomach tie itself in knots.

"Yo Nico! We need to keep movin'!" A robust red-capped cardinal came to land next to Nico. He too seemed familiar, in a friendly and funny kind of way.

"Pedro, my friend, meet Sonora. She is the one that you just ran into with your crazy flying." Nico steps away from me with a flourish of his wings. Slapping his hat back on his head, he flits over to Pedro and playfully shoves him. They share a look and turn back to me.

"Nice to meet you Pedro. I feel bad about running into you. I'll be more careful from now on." I extend a wing to shake. The grey bird looks back at Nico, confused. Nico nods and Pedro takes my wing gently and kisses it. Out of the corner of my eye I notice Nico stiffen ever so slightly at his friends action.

"The pleasure's mine girly. I was talking, and thinking and talking don't mix too well." Then we shake, and he asks, "So di' Nico talk you into coming to our party?"

"Of course! I can't wait!" I exclaim. _Screw worries! I'm going to have fun for the first time in a while!_ I tell myself and smile.

"Good cause we like to party!" Pedro does a strange thing with his wings. "You think you can handle it?" He asks and wiggles his eyebrows.

"Oh I don't know," I place a wing under my chin to think. "You think you can handle it?" I perform a few quick dance steps and spin around, ending with one wing held erect in the air, and the other across my chest, in a bit of a flamenco pose.

"I like you." Pedro held out a fist and we shared a wing bump. "Nice to see you're back." I give him a confused look and notice that Nico's beak had fallen open. Quickly he snapped out of it and punched the cardinal's wing. "Ow!" Pedro rubbed the spot and Nico gave him a warning look. Then the canary smiled and turned back to me.

"Would you like me to show you where the club is now, or should we meet here and I show you Friday?" Nico asks turning his smile into a crooked grin.

"How about both; you show me now, and we can meet here then." I suggest with a shrug.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Pedro?" The yellow bird puffs out his chest, cocks his hat forward, and turns to his friend. This display causes me to giggle again. _Apparently he's really funny_. I thought.

"I can hold down the fort till you get there." Pedro saluted, then looked at the two of us perched close together on the branch. With a devilish smile, the cardinal squawked strangely and lifted off the branch. At the ease of tension, the branch flipped up making Nico and I lose our balance and fly into each other.

"Jeez am I clumsy today." I say quietly after regaining my feet. I tried to step back, but Nico grabbed my wings and didn't let me.

"My fault entirely." Nico gripped my wing again, twirled me around on one claw, and gently tossed me upwards. I spun around and hovered there waiting for him to take the lead. As I looked down I saw him snap his beak shut. He flew up to me and whispered sheepishly, "You are a beautiful flyer."

"Thank you." I reply with a never ending blush on my face. My heart is fluttering in a way that it never has before; as far as I can remember anyway. I just met this guy, and the old me is just bursting from its bonds like an angry animal. "I used to be really good, then there was an incident, and I stopped dancing." I turn my back to him and I hear him gasp at the scars.

"What happened?" He flapped his wings, and began to lead me through the streets.

"I was attacked by an owl named Luís. He nearly killed me." I shuddered, "Rafael and a few of his friends saved my life that terrible night." I explain, showing him the third scar on my throat. This one is nearly all the way covered up, but it is still visible.

"It can't be the same Luís that kidnapped all of those birds several years ago?" Nico nearly whispered.

"I wouldn't doubt it. It was near the same time I was attacked. He is a smugglers bird, and I was his last track to cover up." I shivered for the millionth time that day and Nico glided closer to me with a warm smile.

"Luckily for me, he didn't cover his tracks completely." The canary's words were so kind my heart almost melted. Everything he said was very suave, and it seemed that his bottle cap was always cocked forward over his eyes. It drove me absolutely nuts!

"You're very kind. Where have you been hiding for the past three years?" I tease tipping his hat back, so I could see his eyes better.

"Oh, just flying around, keeping samba alive." He said nonchalantly. Then his eyes got wide and he turned to me, "Do you like samba?"

"Are you kidding?" I exclaimed, "That's like asking a bird if it can fly! I LOVE samba!" With a smirk I tucked my wings in close and dipped, spun, and danced around in the air. Nico danced with me, following my steps like a practiced professional. He then dove through a small opening in a wall, and I followed closely until we landed in an open room. Lights hung from the ceiling, and instruments lined the far wall by a stage.

"You're incredible! I've never danced with a partner with such vigor, such life, such grace! Where have _you_ been these past three years!" Nico spun me around and dipped me. I had to fight hard not to kiss him. _You just met him. Clam down. _I scolded myself.

"I've been hiding from something that makes me feel alive." I tell him softly. Music began to play behind us, and I didn't have to turn to know that it was Pedro playing the instruments.

"Well then, hide no more!" Nico spun me out and we danced around on the floor for I don't even know how long. Every perfect second brought me back to what I was three years ago; alive with a rhythm in my heart. I danced like I would never dance again; I had never felt so alive, so free, than when I danced with this bright yellow sunbeam.

Nico danced with all of his heart and soul, I could just tell. He incorporated the bottle cap into several moves, many of which made me laugh or clap. He was quite an impressive dancer, not to mention a great flirt. I took the cap once and placed it on my head with a playful smirk. He responded instantly and grabbed my wing, spun me in and spun it off my head and back onto his. All the while giving me a flirtatious little look.

We leaped into the air and began a new dance there. Soon Nico started to whistle, loud and clear, then sang, _"Wasn't really thinking, wasn't looking, wasn't searching, for an answer…in the moonlight…When I saw your face…"_ It was a slower tuned song, and I knew it well.

"_Saw you looking at me; saw you peeking out from under moonbeams… through the palm trees…swaying in the breeze..."_ I sang.

"You know this song?" Nico asked surprised.

"Of course. I sort of remember singing it with someone, but I have no idea who." I answered with another shrug.

"Don't stop singing. We'll sing it together." He started over and we sang it as a duet. _"Wasn't really thinking, wasn't looking, wasn't searching for an answer. In the moonlight, when I saw your face."_ He winked at me and my heart began to pound.

"_Saw you looking at me, saw you peeking out from under moonbeams. Through the palm trees; swaying in the breeze."_ After singing my part we circled each other and sang the chorus together.

"_I know I'm feeling so much more, than ever before. And so, I'm giving more to you, than I thought I could do."_ He lands and begins to tap his hat to keep rhythm, while beaming at me dancing in the air.

"_Don't know how it happened, don't know why but you don't really need a reason… when the stars shine… just to fall in love."_ When he sings his line he locks his eyes with mine, and I loop around to land by him for my part.

"_Made to love each other, made to be together, for a lifetime. In the sunshine… flying through the sky." _Then together,_ "I know I'm feeling so much more than ever before. And so I'm giving more to you than I thought I could do. Oh!"_ Pedro continues to strum and as the song draws to a close we sing the last few words.

"_Now I know love is real, soaring sky high, as the angels try; letting you and I, Fly Love."_ We ended face to face, singing out the last words as long as our small lungs would allow us. Finally we had to end the note and gasped for breath.

"You are incredible." We breathed simultaneously; totally lost in each other's eyes.

"You guys have to sing at the party!" Pedro glided over to us, breaking the magic.

"Yea! Everyone will love you Sonora!" Nico exclaimed. They both put a wing around my shoulders in a friendly half hug.

"Whdda ya say?" Pedro asked with a grin.

"Sure thing! As long as you guys are here." I tell them, and we vaulted in the air with a few cheers.

"I tell you what, I'm starving! Who wants to get some grub?" Pedro asked, stomach rumbling loudly. Nico and I chuckled.

"We could go to my house. I have lots of food, and my hollow is big enough for us. If you see anything that you want, snag it and I whip up a little something." I tell them. I notice Nico puff out his chest a little as I take charge. No one's ever been proud of me, except for my parents.

"Lead on girly." Pedro bowed sarcastically, as did Nico while sweeping off his hat.

"Try to keep up!" I called and took off flying back through the hole.

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><p><strong>Please! If you haven't already help a poor author in need of reviews!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Thief

**Horray for new chapter 3!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

**Thief**

"I'm a little ways into the jungle, but it's gorgeous." I explained as we glided through the jungle; Nico to my right and Pedro to my left. They had been asking me about my hollow and telling me about Nico's; a one Canary Corner. The name sounded very familiar, but so did everything else they said. It was like I was trying to remember something that I just couldn't piece together.

"If you live there, it has to be great." Nico said sweetly catching my eye. I smiled at him fondly. _This is so weird! I feel like I've known these birds my whole life, not just the actual hour that it has been._ We flew along getting closer to my hollow, just talking about the weather and other such things. Until…

"Sonora! Sonora!" Patty shrieked bursting through the leaves and nearly plowing me over. "You've been robbed!"

"What? Been robbed?" I asked confused. Who the heck would rob me? I didn't have anything of value; except my shell…

"Fernando and I were flying by and we heard something crashing around just a little ways away. We decided to check it out, and ended up at your hollow. We got as close as we could, then we saw _him_." Patty was talking so fast I could hardly catch the words.

"Saw who?" I asked, as a feeling of panic enveloped me.

"Luís." My eyes grew wide and my heart almost stopped. For a moment my wings faltered as images of that night zipped through my mind's eye.

"Sonny?" Nico asked and looked at me like I was going to faint.

"He has you're your shell." Patty added. Without thinking I took off through the trees. I crashed through a clump of leaves, and came to the little clearing where my hollow was located. A few sticks and twigs were hanging out of my door, which was barely clinging to the tree.

"Oh my gosh!" I gasped. Everything I had made by wing; every blanket and curtain, every chair, every twig in my nest. It was all destroyed. After a moment of surveying the damage I looked down at my ruined nest. Tearing through the remnants of my nest I looked for one thing and one thing only, my shell. After a minute I quit; it wasn't there.

"Oh Sonora! I'm so sorry! Fernando is following him to see if he can find where Luís is going." Patty explained and placed her wing on my shoulder.

"Which way did that sorry scrap of feathers go? I'll claw his good-for-nothing-black heart out of his blasted chest!" My blood was boiling now. I generally have a slow temper, but this was too far. My fury only escalates as Nico and Pedro land in the wreckage; their eyes open wide in shock.

"To the west. Please be careful, I don't want to find you bloody and dying on the forest floor, again." Patty explained hugging me quickly.

"This time it won't be _me_ on the forest floor." I growled. I stepped between the boys and took off, pointing myself to the west.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Sonora! Where you going girl?" Pedro called catching up to me. He was panting rather heavily but was able to keep up.

"That owl is going to pay for messing with me." I hissed, not looking at him.

"Sonora, he'll rip you to shreds! You can't confront him now." Nico appeared out of nowhere and forced me to stop; a pleading look on his face. He grabbed my wings and forced me to land when I tried to dodge around him.

"I'm not going to let him get away with this! My mother gave me that shell!" I cried tears welling in my eyes as hopelessness finally registered in my head.

"You can't go there now. You'll die." The sunbeam made me look him in the eyes as he wiped away a tear with a flight feather. "And I _won't_ let that happen." He pulls me into a warm hug and I cry a few tears, enjoying the feeling of his strong wings holding me. Eventually I take a few deep breaths and step back.

"Thank you." I whisper and dry my eyes.

"Anytime." He gave me a small smile and I couldn't help but return it.

Pedro coughed and I returned to reality when my brain turned back on, "Alright. Let's find Fernando, and see where Luís is keeping my shell. Then we can come up with a plan."

"We're with you all the way, Sonora." Nico hopped back and he and Pedro saluted, making me laugh. I took the lead, ducking in shadows, and staying as camouflaged as I could. My "soldiers" did the same, while Pedro hummed the Mission Impossible theme song; striking spy like poses every time they hid. I looked at them and rolled my eyes. _What goofs._ Then I looked up and spotted our scout.

"There's Fernando." I whisper and point to the green parrot who was perfectly hidden in the leaves of a tree. I motion with my wings and glide up and perch next to him with Nico to my right, and Pedro on the other side of the parrot.

"Oh Sonora! You nearly gave me a heart attack." Fernando smoothed his ruffled feathers. "Good timing though." He tipped his head to the clearing, "Luís has been in there for a while, and I _know_ he's got to come out soon." In front of us is a large clearing with a single wide trunked tree. About halfway up the trunk is a large hole, just right for an owl's nest.

Nerves and anger come to my thoughts and cause my feathers to rise, and I narrowed my eyes. I was so tense that I nearly jumped out of my feathers when Nico placed his wing around my shoulders to comfort me.

"Just keep calm. He'll come out soon." Again Nico smiled and I felt warm and secure for the first time in a _long _time.

"You know that you're the nicest bird I've ever met?" I asked him turning my gaze back to the tree.

"Really? Why thank you. I try to be bright, like my sunshine." His grin widens, and I feel like I swallowed a feather. A flash of brown shot from the tree, and suddenly Nico's bottle cap was gone. His expression went from happy to completely shocked in a matter of seconds.

"Ahh Sonora. I should have figured that it would be you who would try to find me. We left each other on such terse terms, and for that I apologize. I had really hoped to send you to a better place." The voice. The voice that belonged to my attacker. The voice I prayed so hard I would never hear again; it sounded right behind me, along with the clinking of the bottle cap across those talons that could have turned me into an uncooked fajita. I fight back the nausea that suddenly hits me and turn around.

"Luís, I don't want to hear your sugared words. You tried to murder me, simple as that. For that you should be arrested, if not killed." I tried to keep my cool, play it smooth, as I turned around to see three parallel scars across, what was once, a wolfish yellow eye. Speckles of white, brown and black make up the gigantic, twenty inch tall, owl's plumage. I notice that the white patch on his chest is scarred by many more claw marks, as he pumps his wings to land behind us.

"I knew I hadn't cut deep enough. Must be losing my touch." He attempted to mumble to himself.

"Whatever you say; you over stuffed feather duster!" I snarled and fluffed out my feathers and cocked my shoulders back, trying to look a little bigger. "Where's my mother's shell?"

"Shell? Hmmm… I don't recall any shell." Luís taps his razor sharp talons against his beak thoughtfully.

"You know the one; clam shell, speckled on the top, pearly colors on the inside." I explained making it sound like I was talking to an infant. He glared at me with his good eye, then grinned.

"Oh that one! Just got that treasure today." He sweeps his speckled wing to the east energetically. "I had a good time destroying that sucker's home. Nest was pretty small, so I had to go for bigger things." He sneered evilly. My blood was boiling again, and I could almost feel steam coming out of my ears. With a grunt, Nico came to stand next to me, eyes narrowed and bottle cap pulled down to his eyebrows.

"Give her the shell back." He growled with nothing but disgust in his tone.

"Yea! You don't wanna mess with us!" Pedro leaped up on my other side. Out of the corner of my eye I see that Fernando had gotten away, thank goodness. The owl stares at my friends then smiles wickedly.

"What? You're supposed to be a threat?" Luís broke into a fit of laughter, nearly falling out of the tree and holding his stomach. "You are nothing but a toothpick," He gestured to Nico, who didn't take the insult well and had his wings clenched into fists, "and you fatso," Gesturing to Pedro, who was also furious, the owl glided behind us, "Are nothing more than a plump midnight snack. Way to pick your reinforcements Sonora! I must applaud you there!" The owl was still laughing, and clapping his wings sarcastically.

"They aren't part of this fight, Luís!" I was gonna lose it, I could just feel it coming, "This is you and me!" I screamed and zipped right into his scarred face. He screeched, and I dove under him towards the tree. I sent up a silent prayer that Nico and Pedro flew away as fast as they could back to town. I made it to the hollow, and looked around the dim nook for my shell. _There!_ To the left of the entrance! Luís had just set it on top of a pile of other baubles.

"Ha! Did you miss me?" I asked the shell and peeked back outside. There was no sign of the owl or Nico and Pedro. "Whew!" I wiped my brow and spread my wings. Then, from above, a huge weight hit me, dragging and pinning me to the ground.

"Nice try, but you fail again. This time you're finished." Luís whispered in my ear. I tried to struggle, but I could hardly move. His weight was suffocating me. The owl raised a talon and pointed it at my fast-beating heart.

"Sonora! No!" A new voice echoed through the branches; it was Nico!

"Get out of here!" I cried. _He can't come down here! Please God, don't let him come down here! _Thoughts swirl in my head as I wait for the talon to end me.

All of the sudden, the weight is taken off me as Luís is knocked out of the way by a huge log. Nico is by my side immediately and helping me up. I gasp for a moment refilling my poor lungs with oxygen, and snatch the shell. "Let's go!" I tell him and receive a nod. We shot into the air and zoomed to the edge of the clearing. "How did you do that?" I ask pumping my wings harder.

"Luís already had booby traps around the clearing. Pedro set that one off and headed for our rendezvous. We'll meet him there." He explained through a few breaths. I noticed that he had his bottle cap back as he pulled up next to me.

"Get back here!" I heard Luís shriek behind us.

"We've got to get rid of him before we get to your rendezvous. We can't let him get into town." I tell Nico.

"You're right." Nico nodded "What do you suggest?" I can tell he's just as scared as I am. Then again, what's not to be sacred about with a bird four times your size, and twenty times more deadly, chasing you through unfamiliar forest?

"I know we can lose him in the trees, but you've got to stay on my tail." I explain gliding around a clump of vines. "If he gets too close, bail, and get out of here. I will **not** have you getting hurt because of me." I looked him in the eyes as I said this.

"Alright. Show me the way." A giddy smile came to our faces and I took the lead. With incredible accuracy we dove, and bobbed, and wove through the jungle, always evading our captor. We kept low to the ground near the brightly colored flowers that we blend in with; praying that we've lost Luís.

"I'm going to catch you and your both dead!" The owl screams and I can tell he's _way_ too close. Suddenly, as if by divine intervention, there's a yelp behind us and we see Luís plastered to an enormous spider web. We stopped, caught our breath, and burst out laughing. He was totally helpless; his wings, his face, and his talons were all stuck to the glue-like surface of the web.

"Ha ha ha! That's what you get!" Nico called tipping the rim of his hat to Luís.

"How does it feel to be the hunted now?" I tease and wave my tail at him.

"You'll both pay dearly for this! Especially you, Toothpick! I knew I would find you both again!" Luís called. Just before I turned around, though, I saw the owner of the web, an enormous, hairy, brown spider, begin to crawl down towards its prey.

"Not before you do! So long feather-brain!" Nico and I made one last face at him, and began a much more leisurely flight through the trees.

"What did he mean find us both?" I ask the canary after a while.

"I'll try to explain later." Nico replies quickly.

"Ok."

Flowers, leaves, and trees all blend together as the rainforest seems so peaceful; you know, without a gigantic owl chasing you. I suddenly feel really tired and suggest that we land.

"Sure thing." Nico nods to a small tree in full bloom with bright pink blossoms. We land shaking loose some of the pretty petals. "You were incredible back there." Nico told me after we got situated.

"You weren't bad yourself. Great flying!" I said, trying to keep it casual.

"Thanks," Nico smiled sheepishly, "But I meant when Luís had you pinned there. You weren't scared or anything. You didn't even call for help; you just wanted us to get out of there." He stepped closer and took my wing in his. "I don't know about anyone else, but that's what I call bravery."

"I don't know what I would have done if you two had gotten hurt for me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself." The strange feeling of swallowing a feather returned. "I am sick of that owl running my life." I mumbled angrily, half to myself.

"He can't control you. You are your own bird, and I can see the _real _you coming out more and more." Amber pools of warmth locked on my meadow green eyes, and I couldn't move or think. His gaze just cleared my brain of all thought. "I know we just met but I can tell these things." Nico explained hurriedly.

"I know he can't control me," I sighed and looked away, "But there is something that he can do. He can gain bargaining chips, and then twist my wing to his will. Just like today with the shell. What if my parents are next, what if…" Nico took my wing, twirled me around, and dipped me. He gently held my head in his free wing, and before I even knew what was happening, he pressed his beak to mine, and my heart melted completely for him. Every muscle in my body just relaxed, and I kissed him back; trusting him completely to hold me. All fears and worries melted away as I realized that everything would be ok from now on. It felt so familiar, so right; it was strange.

"That was a really nice way of telling me to shut up." I joked as we pulled apart. Nico smiles and spins me out again with an expectant look on his handsome face.

"When you let your heart decide what you say and do, you never have regrets or worries. That's what I have learned." He explains still clinging to my wing.

"And what _I'm_ learning."

"I couldn't ask for a better student." We just gazed at each other for a while more, while holding wings in the little tree.

Then I realized something, "Pedro is probably waiting, worried to the end of his feathers."

"You're right. But…" Nico hopped back and looked at me standing there, shell under my claw. "Something's missing…" Looking around thoughtfully, Nico spotted a fully bloomed flower and soared up to it. Gently he tucked it in the feathers by my ear. "There. Perfect!"

"Oh you!" I pulled him into a hug and gave him a quick kiss before taking off. We flew close together, humming our tune from earlier.


	4. Chapter 4: Stay

**And now a rather short chapter 4! XD**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

**Stay**

By the time we got to the club, we'd sung at least fifteen different songs, and danced every dance we could come up with. We sang out the last note of our current song and soared through the door to the club. Pedro was pacing when we flew in. "There you guys are! I 'bout had a heart attack waitin' for you crazy canaries!" As we landed he tackled us both in a strangling bear hug.

"We got lucky. Big Bird flew into a spider's web." I told the cardinal, setting my shell on the ground gently. It touched the dirt floor without a sound and brought up a small cloud of dust as it did.

"Yea. You should have seen Sonora! She was incredible!" Nico tosses me into the air gently, and I flutter back down beside him with a playful smirk.

"Really? All I saw was a near death experience that _I_ fixed." Pedro fluffed up, and the red feathers on the back of his head popped up proudly.

"The log was genius!" I give him a high five. "I can't believe you found that!" Then I shoved him like I had seen Nico do earlier, and snickered when he almost fell over.

"Me either." He shrugged and returned the gesture making me fall on my tail.

"Rude!" I exclaimed as Nico helped me up and wrapped his wing around my shoulders. I wrapped mine around his waist, and pulled him closer.

"All is fair in love and war," He replied matter of factly and we laughed. Then he returned to the story, "Anyway, Nico spotted the tight vines, and it was like we were on some sort of telepathic link. We both cut the vines, and I hauled tail out of there. By the time I got here, I realized that Nico had to play knight." A teasing grin lit up Pedro's face. Nico ruffled his feathers and I thought I saw his face redden a little.

"After you left, I helped Sonora up and, man, you should have seen her fly! She was a maniac!" He pecked my cheek. "We were so close to the ground it was almost like we were running. Luís couldn't follow, and that was how he got stuck." Nico looked at me in a way that made my heart skip a beat. His eyes said what he was thinking; _"You're amazing." _This, of course, caused me to blush.

"I still can't believe that I got away from him twice!" I cheered not letting the moment get awkward. Then a thought struck me, "What about Rafael? He's probably worried sick."

"I'm not going back in that jungle EVER again. That is equal to never, and not happenin'." Pedro told us quickly.

"You mean Ralphy? I know where he bunks. It's on the other side of the jungle from that psycho owl. If we go in the morning we should be safe." Nico explained.

"Oh you're wonderful!" I hugged him tightly, then grinned in a vixen way, "How on earth can I thank you, for everything today?"

"Not do _that_," Pedro gestures towards the jungle, "**EVER **again."

"I promise that it will never be part of a well thought out plan." I hold one wing over my heart and the other in the air.

"That's what worries me." Pedro was strangely serious.

Then I turn to Nico, and place my wings on his chest, "And how can I make it up to you?" My heart started to pound as he ran his wings down mine and rested them on my wing tips, holding them gently.

"Stay here; sing and dance with me. At least Friday." Nico croons in his deep bass voice that tickles at my ears playfully.

"I don't think Friday is going to be fair. You did save my life after all." I look down then back to his eyes thoughtfully. "Nope, I think I'll just have to _stay_ here, and help with the club." I could have sworn that fireworks went off behind Nico's head as my words hit him; his face lit up like the sun.

"You would stay here?" Nico gasps.

"As long as my best friends in the whole wide world are here; sure, I'll stay." A bright smile illuminates our faces, and they cheer. Together we rocket into the air cheering, singing, dipping, and diving.

"We'll call this place Three Amigos. What do you think?" I chirp.

"Perfect!" Nico crows.

"This place is gonna rock!" Pedro squawked and performed some air guitar.

"You realize that we only have five days to get this place finished?" I ask realizing how little time we have. We freeze, and I look at them. "I'll go see what I can salvage from my nook. There may be some things that Luís didn't completely destroy."

"After getting Rafael to come with us, that is." Nico adds quickly, "Just so we can have an extra pair of eyes."

"We'll have an extra pair of wings to carry stuff too." Pedro puts in.

"Right. First thing in the morning we head for the jungle." I finalize the plan. "So until then, we can fly around, and look for some stuff we can turn into tables and chairs."

"Sounds good. We can spread the word about the party that way too." Nico adds. I smile and we land.

Sticking out a wing I say, "Three Amigos, forever!" They nod and place their wings on top of mine. "One…two…three. Let's do this!" We cheer and soar out the door on out mission for anything that will make the club look clublike, and spread the word about the party.

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><p><strong>haha...Sorry about the mix up on the chapters... I should have it fixed now...<strong>


	5. Chapter 5: I Can Dance

**And chapter 5, formerly chapter 6! lol I hope you like!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

**I Can Dance**

The morning sun seeping through the cracks in the walls falls on me and warms my feathers as I blink my eyes open. I'm curled up on top of my shell, in the club, and had slept with my head tucked under my wing. Looking around I spotted the boys and smiled. Pedro and Nico were piled on top of each other in a pile of yellow, grey, and read feathers, snoring loudly.

I stood and ruffled my feathers, then smoothed them down carefully. Performing a few elaborate stretches, I groan in pleasure of my flexibility. When I finish I roll my shoulders and tuck my shell into a little nook for safe keeping.

After doing so, I quietly went out the door and admired the sign we had put up. Using flowers and vines, accompanied by a couple of lights, the sign read:

_Three Amigos!_

_Open every Friday, and Saturday night._

_Open full week of Carnival._

"Looking good." I mumbled to myself and went off in search of breakfast. The waking jungle had begun its samba and I hummed along to the beat as I glided to the beach. A few humans were out, running along the sugar sand as I scanned it for food. Then, there it was, a glazed doughnut. _Yumm!_ I thought as my stomach growled. Tucking my wings I soared down to it and grabbed it in my claws. To my great shock, it didn't budge, and I tumbled forward getting a beak-full of sand.

"What do you think you're doing?" A scratchy voice said under me.

"Excuse me?" I asked watching a rather large, blue crab crawl out from under the doughnut, holding the pastry in one, very dangerous looking, claw.

"I asked what you were doing stealing my breakfast." He replied tersely.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you," I backed away carefully, with my wings in front of me, "I'll go find something else. Enjoy your breakfast!" I call over my wing as I catch a warm air current and spiral upwards. Soon I'm high above the waking city of Rio. Few people fill the streets, and only a couple of birds are flying around, like me, looking for the morning meal.

"Hey you! Thief!" I heard an angry human shout. I looked around and saw a small, tan boy running through the streets clutching a half-loaf of bread. A large man was closing in on the poor kid, so I did the only thing that came to my mind. I folded my wings close to my small body and dove for the man's face. I fluttered and flourished my wings around to distract him so the kid could get away. The man screamed, and paused. Over my shoulder I watched the kid turn around, smile and salute, and duck around the corner.

"Serves you right, Meany." I told the man and stuck my tongue out at him. He swatted at me and I realized I had worn out my welcome. Quickly, before he could actually hit me, I zipped around the corner trying to catch the kid. _There!_ In a little cardboard box, the boy sat and was inhaling the bread. I flitted over and landed on his knee.

"Hey!" He tried to swat me away too, but I stayed with him.

_That's my breakfast too! _I thought. He finally gave up and let me land again. I put on the big sad-eyes, trying to look as cute as I possibly could. "Well I suppose some of this is yours." He shrugged. "Thanks for the help." He tore off a good chunk and held it in his open palm. I saluted, gave him a warbling whistle, and snagged the meal.

When I returned to Three Amigos, my boys were still out cold, though the snoring had lessened considerably. I began to cut the bread, and slathered it with a little bit of mango jam that we had found yesterday. When I finished The boys were still out, but had closed their beaks and were no longer snoring. I tip toed over and placed a gentle kiss on Pedro's forehead, and he stirred and rolled off of my sunbeam.

Gently I picked Nico's head up, placed it in my lap and stroked his face with a flight feather. He looked so peaceful and happy; it made my heart flutter, and my stomach seemed to fill up with butterflies. _I wonder what he's dreaming of?_ I thought and smiled softly. Out of a strange instinct I leaned down and kissed him tenderly. As I pulled back he opened his sleepy amber brown eyes and a groggy smile came to his beak.

"Good morning beautiful." He murmured and kissed me again.

"Good morning to you." I replied.

"Aw come on! I thought you guys were over that!" Pedro squawks and stretches elaborately. I roll my eyes as Nico sits up and I snuggle up next to him. We wrap our wings around each other.

"Dude, just let it go!" Nico called to him.

"Whatever." Pedro rolled his eyes and walked over to the counter where I had left the bread.

"I apologize." Nico told me as apology for his brother and waved a wing in the cardinal's direction. I smiled wolfishly.

"Let's give him a show shall we?" Then I wrapped my other wing around his neck and kissed him sweetly.

"And I can no longer eat; EVER again." Pedro put down a half-eaten piece of bread and walked outside. After he left Nico and I pulled apart, laughing hysterically.

"Oh that was great!" I giggled and rolled on the floor clutching my stomach.

"Tell me about it!" Nico, too was rolling on the floor. After a while I coughed a few times and sat up. I wiped my eyes and smiled brightly and caught him beaming at me.

"What?" I hummed a little laugh and brushed some feathers out of my face.

"Just you."

"Aw g'wan." I took his wing in mine and stood, leading him to the counter with our breakfast.

"I could for hours," Nico squeezed my wing, "_But_ Pedro is waiting."

We enjoyed our breakfast, and meet Pedro out in the sunshine, and headed for Rafael's nest. Soon we're back under the familiar cover of trees, and all of the sudden, Pedro takes off showing a bunch of loopy, spinning, and complicated flight patterns.

"Would you look at that showoff?" I told Nico.

"Ah, that's nothing. Watch this." My sunbeam rockets straight up and performs his own bit of crazy tricks. Pedro hovers by me.

"You thought I was showing off? Ha! I've got nothing on Nico. He's the best wing-dancer I've ever met." The red-headed bird informed me.

"He is incredible." I replied awestruck. Nico was gliding through the air with unearthly ease and grace. I've seen something like it before, but this seems a bit different. With a last spin and a roll of the bottle cap across his shoulders, Nico drifts back down to us.

"Your turn Sonny!" Nico winked at me and I glided around clumsily.

"I can't compare to you guys." I shook my head and stopped.

"Sure you can!" Pedro crowed. I hesitate, but Nico starts to sing our song, and my wings get minds of their own. I leap off the branch and am soon diving, twirling, and looping around in ways I never thought were possible. I didn't notice the singing stop, and kept dancing for a little while longer, receiving cheers from the boys. After a while I stopped and looked down to see both of the boy's mouths gaping wide open.

"How was that?" I ask shyly. They snap their beaks shut and fly up to me.

"_How was that?_" Pedro zips over, surprised look on his face, "On a scale of one to ten; you get an eleven."

"Not even close! More like a million! Why do you say that you can't dance?" My sunbeam asked smiling brightly.

"Since the incident I haven't danced. I didn't think I still could. But that," I hug myself and twirl around, "That was the best thing that I've ever done. You know, next to meeting you guys." I tease.

"Oh sure, and I'm a fish." Pedro plays along.

"Your dancing is beautiful. I still don't see why you thought you couldn't." Nico asks as we start forward again.

"Near death experiences kind of mess with your head." I shrug. "For a while I couldn't remember half of what happened. I even had trouble recognizing my parents." I explain. "I still can't remember some things from a few years before the attack."

"I tell you what; if I was bigger I'd give that owl something to forget about." Nico said protectively.

"You're too kind." I sigh, "Believe me, you would have to get in line. I'd teach Luís a thing or two if I could." I tell them feeling my feathers rise.

"We all would." The yellow bird comforts. We fly for a while longer talking about all sorts of stuff until we come to Rafael's clearing.


	6. Chapter 6: Let's Get You Ready

**Chapter 6**

**Let's Get You Ready**

"Rafael! Eva! It's Sonora, and I brought some friends!" I called gliding up to the rim of the toucan's platform.

"Thank goodness! Oh I was so worried that owl got you again!" Eva jumped up and nearly choked me in a motherly hug.

"Eva, Eva; you're going to strangle the girl." Rafael shoved her off me and wrapped a wing protectively around me, as I gasped for air.

"Well, as you can tell," I gestured to my body after filling my lungs, "I'm fine. A little shaken, but fine nonetheless." I smile at the toucans, then Nico coughs from the edge of the nest reminding me that he and Pedro were there. "Oh right!" I rush over to my new friends. "Eva, Rafael; this is Pedro; hot-winger extraordinaire," I place a wing around Pedro's broad shoulders and he grins, "And this is Nico; the best wing-dancer I've ever seen in my life." Pedro bows and Nico sweeps off his hat.

"Pleasure to meet the ones who saved this beautiful lady's life." Nico says holding his hat in both wings.

"Good thing you were around, or we wouldn't have met our business partner. She won't admit it, but she can dance pretty well herself." Pedro pats me on the back, and I laugh.

"Well Sonora I must say I'm very proud of you. Meeting such nice boys your first day mingling." Eva was all puffed up as though she really was my mother.

"Yeah!" Rafael smirks, "These guys'll never steer you wrong. They introduced me to my gorgeous girl here." The bright beaked toucan wrapped a wing around his mate, and pecked her cheek.

"Really? Why didn't you guys tell me?" I asked.

"We wanted it to be a surprise." Nico told me fluttering over to my side and clasps my wing in his. This thing between us is crazy, but wonderful nonetheless.

"Oooo! What is this I see?" Eva coos. I drop my eyes as does Nico.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I say feeling my face get hot.

"My dear Sonora, you don't have to hide it. You can't." The toucan comforted. I looked back at Nico and I saw the same bit of embarrassment there. But as we look up from our claws and back to each other's eyes, that feeling is long gone. We wrapped our wings around each other and were held in a loose hug.

"See? What did I tell you? It's like samba; it makes your heart come alive." Rafael explained smiling.

"I do see it now." I reply softly. Nico squeezes me close to him.

"Oh you two are too cute!" Eva squawked.

"Thank you." We chorus, still smiling and holding each other.

"Did you hear about tonight?" Pedro broke in, annoyed with our display.

"Oh yea! I can't believe you guys are throwing a party!" Rafael cheered.

"I think it would be a good night to let the eggs breath. Should we go Ralphy?" Eva asks while running a flight feather across his shoulder.

"Of course we should go! It will be a good thing for you to stretch those pretty legs of yours." Rafael helped his wife stand and walk around a little bit. Soon she was gliding around happily and soared back over the nest to land by her mate.

"Alright girl, let's get stunning for tonight." Eva flapped her huge black wings, and snatched me out of Nico's wings.

"See you tonight!" I called exasperated as I hovered for a moment.

"Not if I see you first!" My sunbeam called after us, bottle cap cock-eyed on his head.

"At the tree!" I blew him a kiss as he nodded, and flapped to keep up with Eva.

"We're gonna find you the perfect little shawl, and get you all cleaned up!" The toucan was mainly talking to herself, but I tried to catch some snippets.

"Eva! Good to see you off the nest! Did the little ones hatch yet?" A bird called from the canopy.

"Not yet, but it's getting close." She replied.

"Oh my gosh! Is that Sonora?" The bird flew over to us and it turned out to be my mother.

"Morning mamá." I tell her as she takes a protective position above me.

"Good morning sweetheart. How have you been?" She cooed. My mother was, let's just say, overprotective. I'm their only chick, so I can sort of understand.

"I've been doing fine. Actually, just a few days ago I opened up a club; Three Amigos. My partners are great; I know you would love them as much as I do." I explained, smiling at the thought of my boys. "We're having a huge party tonight for Carnival, and I was hoping that you and dad would come."

"Why of course! I would love to come and see something that my daughter put together!" She lowered herself to my level to say that. "I'm glad that you got out there and did something a little crazy. It's good to see the Sonora I raised coming out again." She smiled in a way only moms can.

"Rafael and I are going too. I'm letting the eggs have a night to breath." Eva informed. "In fact he's probably working on getting Nico ready as we speak."

"Nico?" My mom's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "You mean that canary who wears the bottle cap?" My mom asks and I swear there's a hint of distaste in her tone.

"The same." Eva nodded.

"You should see him dance mamá. It's…it's magical. He so good." I told her with a sweet smile.

"So that's why you're out here now." Mom mumbles to herself. "I have a shawl that would look great on you. Eva, take care of the rest and I'll meet you at Sonora's hollow."

"Uh… Mamá!" I called, thinking fast. "Why don't we just meet you at home? My nook is a mess and I don't want you coming over." I tell her trying to prevent the apocalypse that would occur when she saw what Luís had done.

"Oh ok. I'll see you there then." She winks to her old friend and pats me on the head.

"Alright you staler, come on, you really need a bath." Eva circles and soars through the trees. I have to flap hard to keep up. We soon arrive at a tiny waterfall surrounded by tons and tons of flowers. This is where all girls come to bathe before a party, and there are tons of girls here right now. Eva clears out a few girls putting on the finishing touches and settles me in. We soak in a clear pool that had just been replenished with fresh water.

"This is the life." I murmur sinking up to my beak in the crystalline water.

"No kidding. I can't imagine being anywhere else." Turning her bright beak in my direction Eva looks at me teasingly. "But I'm sure you'd still like to be tucked away in Nico's wings." Again my face heats and my heart flutters.

_Well DUH!_ My mind screams. "You know the strangest thing is that we've only known each other for a few days? I feel like I've known him all my life." I smile as I think back on Sunday in the little tree. "He's just amazing."

"I know it seems to be sudden, but it really isn't." She said dreamily and I gave her a weird look. Then she continued quickly, "Rafael and I didn't need long either. I saw him that day at Carnival, dancing and singing with his friends, and I knew that he was the one I wanted to be with forever." She told me. I smiled and giggled a bit, remembering how Nico and I met only a week ago, by complete accident.


	7. Chapter 7: She Needs to Remember

**Yes I'm boring, btu this is mainly so I know what I'm updating. lol So new chapter 7!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

**She Needs to Remember**

I watched her fly away, and kept staring at the point where she had disappeared. _Dear God, _I thought, _thank you so much!_

"I can't believe she hasn't snapped out of it yet!" Rafael slapped a wing against his face and snapped me out of my revere. Both are standing there with shocked expressions and my mind is in the same type of stupor.

"I know! I thought that she would at least recognize me." Pedro fluffs his feathers. "You can't forget this face!"

"I thought she would remember Sunday in the tree, when I kissed her." I murmured adding my own thoughts to the word pool.

"You _**WHAT**_?" Rafael and Pedro shrieked, and Pedro jumped over next to me.

"I kissed her, darn it!" I snapped balling my wings into fists. "It's been _three _years since I've even _seen _her at all, let alone in good health," Then I deflated a little, "I thought she would just snap out of it then and there."

"You know that you could be putting her in even greater danger by showing your affection for her?" Rafael asks gently.

"I understand perfectly." _How could I not?_ I thought. "We're both in danger of Luís, and I'm not going to leave her alone." I vowed. "She had no self-confidence at all. Only today did she start to act like her old self. And that was only after we made her dance."

"This is true, but," Pedro comes and places a wing on my shoulder, "If she did remember you, she'd still think you're dead."

When I turned eighteen, I was transferred off the east-side and joined the west-side school. The night of my birthday was the first time I had ever been inside a samba club, and I'm not kidding when I say it changed my life forever. I stepped in and the music crashed over me, and I had barely noticed Pedro and Rafael fly over to one side of the dance floor.

My brother had talked to someone for a minute, then stepped back to reveal the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in my life. I know I sound like a sap story, but that is exactly what happened. I had asked her what her name was, and she had replied sweetly, "Sonora, but you can call me Sonny." That was when my life changed.

She was spunky, smart, and sweet, and she loved me for me. Sonny even stood up for me two days later, in front of her own mother, because she had tried to kick me out. We were insanely in love, and had just wanted to live our lives together.

But one night, after a big performance, Pedro and I had been kidnapped by Luís and stuffed in cages on a smugglers plane. But I wasn't going be anyone's pet, oh no! I was going to get home to my girl, and I was going to get everyone free. So we had picked the lock on the cage, freed everyone from theirs, and when the plane landed, we had all burst out of the cargo hold and gone home. Luckily we hadn't made it too far, only to São Luis, and Pedro and I had returned home as quickly as we could. It still took us about a month and a half, and most of the search efforts had been called off.

I was going to tell Sonny I was back, but it was going to be at Carnival. We had waited and waited at the club for her to show up, and when her, calm collected father had started to worry, I was scared. A new search party was started and I was the one that found Sonny, bloody, near death on the forest floor after Luís had done his dirty work. It was me who flew her nearly five miles back to town so that she could be tended to. It was me who decided that I had to stay away from her to keep her safe.

Clarissa, of all birds, had told me that after the trauma Sonny had amnesia, and I had been horrified and delighted at the same time; she wouldn't remember me. Therefore my job was half way finished.

"I know she would still think I'm dead!" I nearly scream at them. "I've put a _lot _of thought into this over the past five days and I've decided enough is enough. She needs to remember; and she's completely healed."

"And _that's_ thanks to my nurturing." One very angry Clarissa Canary comes to perch on the edge of the platform glaring daggers into my soul. "What do you think you're doing here?" She stabbed a pointer feather at my chest.

"Clarissa, how nice to see you…" Rafael steps up to wrap a wing around her, then shrinks back and snaps his beak closed when she shoots him a furious glare. Then I snap out of my own bought of fear and turn her attention back to me.

"I'm making her remember. She needs to." I stand straight, and don't flinch when she circles me like a vulture. Finally she stands back in front of me, spine rigid and wings crossed.

"If she remembers, that owl will find her and kill her. You three are the best song and dance group in Brazil. It won't be too hard for him."

"Luís already tried Sunday." Pedro butts in, tired of the canary's attitude, "Long story short, he completely trashed her house, and stole that shell you gave her. Sonora flew right into his nest and stole it back. Luís pinned her to the ground, and Nico and I saved her. I didn't see you anywhere." The cardinal growled.

"He's back already?" Clarissa whispered and he wing flew to her mouth.

"Luís has been back for a while." Rafael finally gets a chance to speak, "We planned Sonora's day in town Sunday, because we knew that Luís was going to make his move. So technically we've saved her life three times now." The mother bird began to pace, letting all of this information sink in.

"I can't believe it. Again, you've beaten me at the mothering game." She smiled and ruffled her feathers. "I'm very glad that you're alright as well. I'm sorry for freaking out. You know how I am…" The canary hangs her head and I step over and wrap her in a gentle hug.

"I accept the apology." I murmured in her ear as she clings to my feathers, "Please, let me help Sonora get rid of Luís. I know that as soon as she remembers, she'll want to do something about it." I explain and let her go.

"You boys were the best friends that she ever had." Clarissa sniffles, "You still are, and weather she remembers or not doesn't matter. Thank you so much for saving her…" Clarissa sarcastically counts her feathers, "Three times now." With beaming smile she spreads her wings and Pedro and I hug her tightly. After a moment We step back and she dries her eyes.

"I will do whatever it takes to protect her." I promised myself and her mother.

"I'm with him." Pedro agrees jerking a wing in my direction.

"Me too, and I know Eva will agree." Rafael adds.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You boys are wonderful!" Clarissa planted a motherly kiss on our foreheads and hopped to the edge of the nest. "Now I have to go help Sonora get ready. See you tonight!" With a wave, she too is gone.

"That went surprisingly well." Pedro joked when Clarissa's bright feathers vanish.

"Yea. I thought she was gonna fry you!" Rafael agreed and shoved me playfully.

"I thought I was going to end up on a spit!" I sighed, relieved. "But I meant what I said. I will protect Sonora until the day that I die." I place a wing over my heart.

"I know you will bro, but first things first, you need a real bath." Pedro slaps me on the back and Rafael smirked.

"Not more than you do!" I replied and took off chasing him through the trees.


	8. Chapter 8: Remembered!

**New chapter 8! More detail to be sure!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

**Remebered!**

Soon the sun is tucking itself into bed over the ocean. Everything, be it human, bird or bug, was ready for Carnival. Lights illuminated every corner of the city, and everybody was dressed to party. After getting all cleaned up, Eva and I had gone to my parents hollow and they had put the finishing touches on me, much to their chagrin. I now wore a leaf green, sequined shawl with a silver bracelet my mother let me borrow.

I flew through the jungle, with a feeling of utter excitement welling in my stomach. I was on my way to the club, but before I could fly into town there was one thing I had to take care of. Emerging from a long stretch of forest and spotted it, Nico and I's little blossom tree. Even from where I was hovering I could see my little drop of sunshine. He had been waiting, I could tell by the way he was pacing. "Nico!" I called when I got closer and waved with a smile.

He snapped his head up, and a face of twisted worry dissolved when he saw me. "Sonny!" He called, and waved, as I circled to land. "You look amazing!"

"You don't look half bad yourself." I commented landing in his wings. Then I noticed he was wearing a yellow sequined tie, pulled tight around his neck. "There. Now it doesn't look like you're strangling yourself." I teased as I loosened it the way I had seen some other birds do. My sunbeam chuckled and squeezed me tighter. I could smell a bit of cologne on him and his feathers were softer than I remembered (not that I was complaining *wink wink*). "I like the cologne too."

"Thanks." He took my wing and twirled me around to get a full view of my "transformation." "Would you look at yourself? Who are you meeting tonight?" Nico joked. "He must have some class." He blew on his feathers then rubbed them against his shoulder.

"Oh he does;" I winked at him and sighed, "He's the best wing-dancer I've ever seen in my life." I swept my wing out and stepped away from the embrace. "He sings in the most amazing voice I've ever heard too. We're supposed to perform at Three Amigos." I smiled as he laughed, embarrassed. "What about you? You're date must be special." I remembered playing this game with a friend of mine before. It seems that this friend and I did a lot together, but I can't, for the life of me, remember who.

"She's beyond special." Nico took to the charade perfectly, and looked off into the sky dreamily, "I think that she has to be a piece of the sun that fell from heaven." I slapped his wing gently and blushed as he continued, "Her dancing is what samba is meant to be, and her singing," My sunbeam held his hat over his heart, "Her singing is like magic; it's like listening to rain on the leaves or waves lapping on the beach. I don't have words to explain it." Nico's eyes softened and he pulled me to him.

"She is very lucky to have a bird like you take her to Carnival." I murmured and traced the line between his yellow feathers and the cream colored ones on his chest.

"Not as lucky as I am." Nico leaned in and kissed me softly. As he pulled back, a happy smirk settled on my face. "You ready to open for the first time?"

"So excited! Let's go!" I exclaim and jump into the air. Together we weave through the streets and I notice Nico looking up and checking the sky every now and again. _Strange._ I thought to myself.

Finally we soared around one last corner, and come face to face with the biggest crowd of birds I've ever seen. Everyone from macaws to toucans, canaries to cranes, they were all here; and all ready to party.

"'Bout time you guys got here! These birds are crazy!" Pedro called as we landed, and jumped away from the door he had been pinned against. The chatter of the crowd grew louder and louder as Nico and I landed in the small circle of pavement.

"Oh my gosh! It's The Three Amigos!" Someone shrieked from the crowd. A dead silence swept across the street. All eyes were on us.

"What is she talking about?" I whispered to Nico feeling self conscious and stepping closer to him.

"Oh nothing…" He trailed off nervously, as a cold breeze swept through, whipping dust in our eyes.

"Nothing? Ha!" A voice thundered from above us. "The Three Amigos are only the greatest song and dance group in all of Brazil! Not hard to find at all." Gales of wind poured down on our heads, making Nico have to reach up and hold his cap on his head. The crowd screamed and rushed to make a place for Luís to land. Nico tried to push me behind him protectively, but I stayed by his side. Shoulder to shoulder we faced our enormous common enemy.

"What do you want Luís?" I hissed. _Why can't I have _one_ night without_ him _ruining it?_ I asked the heavens.

"You know that you're very pretty when you're all puffed up?" The owl joked, but I glared at him; letting all of my hatred for him show in my lightning gaze.

"You are not welcome or wanted here!" Nico shouted and hopped forward.

"I'm welcome anywhere I _feel_ like being welcome," He snapped, "But we all know what I'm really here for," The owl turned his head so that his blinded eye is easily visible. "Revenge."

"No! You earned that scar!" I cried as cold fury builds in my heart at this immature display.

"I thought I had silenced you. But all the birds became wary, and much harder to catch. And you," Luís draws a talon and pointed it directly at Nico's heart. I gasped and felt fear clutch its cold talons around my heart. Nico on the other hand didn't even flinch, but balled his wings into fists and continued to burn Luís with a hateful glare. "After you bozos escaped, no one took me seriously. I lost my career." Painfully slowly, Luís puts his weapon away. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and feel my heart start to beat again.

"I wasn't going to let you take her." The canary's voice is deep and threatening as he addressed our enemy, "I knew that you missed your chance the first time, so I came back to protect her. You want her, you go through me." Nico seemed to double in size with his confidence. His words made my heart flutter, no matter how little sense they made.

"Look at her face, Toothpick," Luís circled us; "She has no clue what you're talking about."

"What _are_ you talking about Nico?" I asked totally lost, and wanting to get away while we were all still alive. When Nico turned to me, though, he seemed to shrink as he saw my confusion.

"Still nothing?" Pedro whispered from behind us. I turned and looked at him, my parents, Rafael, and Eva. They all have expectant, but doubtful, expressions on their faces.

"What is it?" I asked them feeling frustrated. "Should I be remembering something?" My head was spinning, and I was starting to feel dizzy.

"Why would you remember the love of your life?" The owl snickered. "The only thing that made you feel alive, and free?"

His words take a second to sink in, and suddenly my mind stopped spinning. I felt like I had been hit by a truck, and found my breath hard to catch.

"Nico," I whispered, "Nico was his name…" Pictures flashed through my head of a bright yellow canary dancing and singing our song; teal-green and ocean blue bottle cap his head, resting just on top of a few smartly parted feathers. I saw a round red-capped cardinal singing with the canary and break dancing on a stage that was bathed on lights and music. I heard an announcer's voice boom over the speakers, "And here you are ladies and gentlemen; The Three Amigos."

I remembered the blossom tree I had met Nico at, at sunset with the same canary. _Nico…_ The first time he kissed me was there. I remembered the first time we danced and sang together at The Branch on his eighteenth birthday; the same day we met. Feelings of strong love, and incredible joy overwhelmed me.

"Sonora? You alright?" Nico asked worried, and placed a wing on my shoulder. Then I remembered a feeling of intense loss; a feeling of deep dark depression. I remembered the heart wrenching message that Raymond had told me the night I found out that my Nico and Pedro had disappeared. I remembered tears falling on a drawing of the three of us in front of Three Amigos.

I saw the images from that terrible night that I almost died. I remembered Luís telling me that he had murdered Nico and Pedro as I fell to the rain forest floor. I remembered the face of my Nico, terrified and sickened, finding me broken and dying on the ground. I remembered a fading flight through the trees and town, clutched tightly in his claws, back to The Branch. I heard my Nico's voice, tearstained and strained, cooing in my ear "Sonny, Sonny, look I'm back! Don't leave me. Please God don't take her yet…I love her." I shook my head. All of this comes flooding back like water bursting from a dam.

"You! You devil bird." I say quietly, fury building. "You stole Nico and Pedro," I snapped my eyes up to the lone eye of Luís; then I zipped right up into his face, "_You_ shattered my heart! _You_ tried to MURDUR me! _You_ made me gave me amnesia! _You_ ruined my life!" I shrieked, waving a feather in his face. "And _you_ have the audacity to come here and threaten _me?_" Luís is completely shocked. "It's all coming back now." I threw my wings in the air and let out a half laugh, "The Three Amigos, our tree, this club that we dreamed of opening."

"She's got it! She's remembering!" I heard my friends whisper. I was backing the owl into the brick wall.

"You were the bouncer! You told us that if we went back in the club there would be consequences!" I was boiling. "You're nothing but a murderer!"

"Sonny, baby, please…" Luís was trying to calm me down while glancing around nervously.

"**No!**"I was dangerously close to the owl's beak. "I want you gone! I want you out of Brazil, no, South America, forever!" He hit the wall.

"Fine," His eyes glazed over with lust, "I'll go. But I'm not going alone." Before I could blink the owl grabbed my wing, and threw me against the stone wall. My head cracked against the brick and I had to fight to keep awake.

"SONNY!" I heard Nico cry out, then a rush of wings. When I looked up, dizzy and on the verge of a blackout, Luís had a struggling Nico in his talons and was soaring away into the fading sky.

"NICO!" I screamed. I shook my head to clear it, and, without another thought, was in the air. My heart was pounding, terrified, and I pumped my wings harder. A huge gust of wind caught my wings and I soared above Luís' form.

"Get out of here!" Nico shouted from underneath the raptor. Then he gasped in agony as the owl tightened his grip.

"No! I'm not letting him take you again!" I raked my claws down the owl's speckled back, and he screamed and dropped Nico. The canary rights himself and joined me far above the celebrating city.

"You'll not live to see morning!" I heard the owl screech.

"We have to get out of here!" Nico told me and turned towards the jungle.

"No." I continue to hover. "I'm not running anymore. Tonight I end this." I told him determinedly.

"Then I'm with you; to the very end." He stares into my eyes and give a nod. We rose higher then turned over backwards, now diving, full speed, back towards the club. Opening our wings at the last second, Nico and I rocketed across the concrete. There was a crash as Luís hits the ground, but then we hear him stand and continue to pursue us.

"We need a better plan." Nico called over the wind rushing past us.

"I know we can outmaneuver him." I replied, "We just have to get where we can get places he can't."


	9. Chapter 9: What to Do?

**New 9!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

**What to do?**

"What do we do?" Clarissa shrieked grasping her mate's wing tightly in hers.

"What can we do?" Somebody from the crowd replied.

"I'll tell you what we do. We need to make something to help them out." Rafael piped up thinking clearly.

"I know," Sonora's father, Raúl, spoke, "Let's make a net to catch the owl in."

"Perfect!" Pedro hovered above the crowd ready to give orders, and turned to the crowd. "I know you guys came here to party, but there ain't goin' to be any party if we can't save Nico and Sonora. We need to build a net to catch the owl in." He explains.

"We'll do anything!" Fernando shouts from where he stands next to Patty, "We're all friends of Sonora and Nico; just tell us what to do!"

"Sweet!" Pedro pumps his fist in the air, "Alright we need about ten birds to stay here and construct the net. Everyone else listen to Rafael and Eva, and they'll explain how we're gonna let the Daring Duo know what we're doing. Net versus owl!" Then he does his strange squawk and everyone splits up. Ten birds follow Pedro, and the rest gather around the toucans.

"Ok birds, we have let them know what's going on, _but_ we can't let Luís guess that there's a net." Eva explained.

"We could go in pairs all around the city," Josie suggested, "And try to get them to come back to Three Amigos."

"Ok then! Pair off and get gone!" Rafael jumps forward and shoos the birds away, "Time is at the essence!" Then he and his mate take to the night sky and lead their squadron through town. Every once and a while they would give a nod and a couple would branch off to go to their post.

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><p>"Now for the net… What can we use?" Pedro wondered and hopped around the club in a panic.<p>

"How about this? Found it at the pier." A spoonbill couple strided in carrying a heavy roll of rope.

"Perfect!" Pedro was on the rope in the blink of an eye. "Now we've all seen a spider web right? That's what we're looking for." The red-headed bird takes part of the rope in his beak, and two other pieces in his wings. His funny pose made the other birds laugh.

"Please! Allow me!" A huge, hairy, brown spider crawled down the far wall and across the floor. "That daft owl owes me a web. I figure this could work." He jokes blinking his eight eyes and smiling in a friendly way.

"Ummm…" Clarissa didn't like this situation, but the spider didn't help.

"I'll handle this." Raúl waved a wing and lead his mate away from the circle.

"What's your name?" Pedro asked and held out a wing for him to shake.

"Albert's the name, web-weaving is my game." He took the cardinal's wing and shook it heartily.

"Welcome to the crew Albert." Pedro grinned, "But we don't have much time."

"Oh please; this'll take me about five minutes." The spider waved a leg and set to work. The canary parents returned to the circle just as the deal was finalized.

"Please let that be enough time." Clarissa whispered half to herself.

"Sonny will be fine." Raúl pulled her into a hug, "She's got Nico with her, and I have no doubt that they will be back soon."

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><p>"I know you're getting tired, little birds. Come on, let Uncle Luís put you to rest!" Luís cooed from his deadly position above us.<p>

"I can't go on much longer." Nico panted next to me, his tie flapping against his neck in the wind we created.

"We have to rest, I know." I looked around for the millionth time. _We have to find a place to hide_. Then I see it. A tall human was wearing a huge, plumed, bright yellow hat. I motioned to it, and Nico nodded. We dived low to the ground then caught an air current and glided above our pursuer as he crashed into the ground again. We zipped into the human's hat and collapsed in a heap of panting sunshiny feathers.

"I can't believe that worked!" Nico puffed excitedly; his wing on his heaving chest and bottle cap resting just behind his head.

"Lady Luck must be smiling on us today." I replied. My lungs felt like they're going to burst at any moment, and my heart is pounding so hard that it was painful. Not to mention my wings felt like useless, wet noodles.

"Not just Lady Luck…" Nico stood and stepped over to my side. He extended a wing to me and helped me up. "I can't believe that you remembered everything!" As I regained my feet, he pulled me to him and held me tightly to his chest. I sighed happily remembering the feel of his embrace, and a plethora of emotions flooded my mind. Among them undying affection, and undeniable joy.

"I know," I murmured into his feathers with a bright smile on my face, "I should have remembered when you guys found me on Sunday. I'm so happy that you're really alive!" I kissed him on the cheek.

"I was going to tell you, I promise!" He held my shoulders and his eyes brimmed with glee. "It was that night," He shivered as did I, "I was the one that found you, and made sure you got back to the club."

"I know. I remember _everything_." I let Nico go and peeked out of the feathers. He came up behind me and placed a wing around my shoulders. We saw Luís questioning some parrots about where we went. They pointed the opposite direction from where we were, and Luís soared away. Then the birds looked right at us and pointed in the direction of Three Amigos.

"What are they doing?" Nico asked, letting his breath tickle across my cheak.

"I'm not sure…" I trailed off as the girl took off her lacy shawl and caught a piece of confetti in it. "A net!" I said quietly when it clicked.

"The guys must be making a net to catch Luís in!" Nico exclaims. "We have to get back there while we still can. Then we can rest a little more and figure out how to draw Luís back to the net." Nico grabbed my wing and twirled me around. "Shall we?"

"We shall." I give him a wink and a quick kiss, then we take off for the club.

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><p><strong>Ok peeps, please bare with me, and I'll have chapter ten up soon, and this will all be fixed. Thanx!<strong>


	10. Chapter 10: Escape Just to Find Him Agai

**Chapter 10**

**Escape Just to Find Him Again**

"Look! There they are!" I heard my mother shout as we came around a corner. As we landed we are piled with questions, all from my mom. "What took you so long? Are you hurt? Where's that owl?" She was spitting out questions as fast as she was circling Nico and I, searching for a wound, bruise, anything.

"Mom!" I grab her wing and make her stop moving, "We're fine; for now. We were told something about a net." I told her glancing at the sky.

"Oh yes!" She pulled her wing away and led us inside the club, "Pedro and Albert are finishing it up. Come look." There stands Pedro, my father, and a huge, hairy, brown spider.

Pedro's face lights up as he turns around and sees us, "There you guys are!" With incredible speed he tackles us in a throttling hug.

"Here we are." My sunbeam and I chorus sarcastically after we get back up off the floor. "Who's the spider?" I asked a little edgy, and clung to Nico's wing.

"This is Albert. He showed up and offered to help with the net since Luís trashed his web." Pedro explained.

"Completely destroyed. Dumb bird. No offense meant of course." The spider mumbles finishing up the last few knots.

"None taken. What do you plan on doing?" Nico asked, taking a cup of water that my mother handed us.

"You guys are going to have to go out there and bring Luís back." My dad steps up and hugs us both. "We'll string this up across the street and all you guys have to do is not get stuck in it." He explained and took a length of the rope in his claws.

"Sounds easy enough. You ready?" I asked Nico, as I examined the net. He grabbed my wing, pulled me to him, and kissed me hard. I of course kissed him back, and I heard my mother gasp. After a moment we pull apart and I see his eyes twinkling with utter joy.

"That's just in case." He winked at me and clutched my wing. "Let's do this."

"Be safe!" My mother called out the door as we flew back into the night.

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><p>Searching for Luís was <em>the<em> scariest thing I had ever done in my life. We half wanted to find him, and half didn't want to. This was an incredibly deadly game, and nobody could tell who was winning.

A shriek shattered our nerves, and we snapped our gaze to the stars. I barely see Luis before Nico and I are each hit from above. I felt my feathers fall away as skin and muscle tore, and on my right wing appears a long gash that burns like hell-fire.

"My wing!" Nico cried as he began to spiral downwards, flapping his non-broken wing uselessly.

"Nico!" I shout. My wing is ablaze with pain, but I tuck into a dive and catch my sunbeam dangerously close to the ground. Every wing beat burns, and I have to set my mind and lock my jaw so I don't scream or drop Nico.

"I see you cheated a little." Luís' voice crooned as he circled around us. "Two birds against one, hardly seems fair." Another wolfish grin played on his face, and I so wished I could claw it off.

"Yea. A little unfair isn't it?" I grunted as my wing continues to flame, and tears welled in my eyes.

"How's your wing feel? A touch of sea snake venom certainly makes it burn huh?" Luís locked his good eye on the two of us.

"Venom?" I choked out the word and my heart nearly stops. Venom and anything don't mix to well, but I am such a small bird that just a small drop could kill me in minutes.

"Yes." He examined his talons nonchalantly, "You see, since you two ruined my career as a smugglers bird it became very hard for me to hunt so I could stay alive. So I decided to steal a trick from the serpents. I now coat my talons in venom every night; makes getting a bite to eat much easier."

"And you called us cheaters!" Nico crowed from my claws. He squirmed a little, but stopped when I gasp and began to lose altitude.

"Yes I did, didn't I?" Luís laughed evilly, "Well at least I know that this time you both really will die."

"You can't win Luís!" I shouted and turned back around towards Three Amigos, and our last hope. I felt the wind as the owl took the bait. I ducked and dove and twisted and twirled through the streets getting closer, until I saw it. The net was stretched all the way across the street. The only way I could avoid it is to fly through the center hole. Nico wouldn't fit with me though; I would have to drop him.

"Nico, do you trust me?" I called to him. I could feel the poison coursing through my veins now, and everything is getting terribly blurry.

"With my life!" He replied. I could sense pride, adoration, and love emanating from him and looked down into his eyes one last time.

"I love you." I whispered to my sunbeam, then looked forward setting my mind for what I was about to do. "Rafael! Catch!" At the last second I dropped Nico and folded my wings as tightly against my body as I could. I rocketed through the center hole like a dart. Cheering and trapped flapping is heard as Luís is snared. I smile and choke laugh. I tilted my wings and tried to spiral upwards and come back around to see, but instead I gasped as something inside me sends screaming pain through my entire body. My wings froze, I couldn't even breathe, and I crashed to the ground.

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><p><strong>Yeah it's short, but you know, it's got more detail than before XD<strong>


	11. Chapter 11: Oh No!

**New 11!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

**Oh No!**

Sonny's grip loosened until I was falling through the sky, flapping my good wing, uselessly trying to slow my descent. I didn't take my eyes off the scene above me though. It was all slow motion as I watched my girl slap her wings against her sides and shoot through the small hole in the web-net, escaping death by Luís' talons by a mere feather's breath. I watched as Luís was trapped, for good, in the strong rope. Then I was jolted out of my daze as Rafael caught me in his wings.

Upon landing he bumped my broken wing, but I didn't notice. "WE DID IT!" I screamed and hopped onto the concrete to watch the one bird that threatened everything I loved, get what had been coming for him for so long.

Take that you big-eyed foo'!" Pedro cawed and danced around performing some rather…strange…moves.

"That'll teach you to mess with my baby!" Clarissa shouted and tried to look cool as Raúl kissed her cheek. The entire crowd was cheering and dancing around as the owl struggled in the net. Jammin' music blared from our speakers within the club and everyone was smiling at a job well done.

"We did it! We caught him! Sonny, we did it!" I crowed and hopped around despite my broken wing. "Sonny?" I called and looked around. Carefully I made my way through the crowd, until I found Sonny. But she wasn't dancing around, oh no. She was _far_ worse off. I saw her crashed up against a building, her chest barely moving up and down, and her eyes were closed. A look of agonizing pain was etched on her face.

"Oh my gosh!" Pedro squeaked hopping up next to me, and Clarissa gasped and fainted in her mate's wings.

"Sonora?" I walked over to her slowly, tears burning at my eyes and my heart frozen in my chest. _No…no no no… _

"Nico?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, "I'm sorry…so… sorry." She coughed weakly, then gasped as her body contorted in pain. I settled down next to her and cradled her head in my good wing. It tore at my heart to see her suffering so badly.

"Hey, it's ok I'm here. I'll fix this." I whispered, willing my words to be true. _A miracle! That's all I ask, is a miracle for my Sonny. _ I begged the heavens.

"It's over for me Nico…The poison…" Sonora coughed and gasped again. My hat fell forward as I looked down, and she raised a shaking wing to push it back and look into my tear-filled eyes.

"Shhh…" I brushed my feathers across her pale face, "Its ok. We'll fix this." The tears begin to slide down my face and a few splashed onto the concrete.

"Excuse me? Did she say poison?" Albert made his way over to us carefully, and I glared at him unintentionally.

"What's it to ya?" I snapped as some feral instinct in me tells me to protect the poor canary at all costs.

"Well it does get kind of lonely where I live," Albert rubbed his arm awkwardly, "and I do a little work as an apothecary. I might have something to help her." The spider rummaged through a pouch that circled his abdomen. "What kind of poison is it?"

"Painful." Sonora croaked after another cough. I was able to let a sad little laugh escape my mouth.

"Look at you," My brother came to her other side and gestured to her with his wings, "Lying there and you still have your sense of humor."

"I've got to make sure you guys don't get too sad." My girl joked back and took Pedro's wing in hers. I could see tears in his brown eyes too.

"It's sea snake venom! My best hunting tool!" Luís shouted making a new fury well in my chest and I tensed to stand.

"Please don't leave me." Sonny begged weakly and grabbed a few of my feathers.

"I would never do that to you." I murmured and relaxed. She reached up and wiped away a few more of my tears.

"I haven't met the potion master yet who can derive anti-venom to that!" Luís said, as though mocking me. Several birds poked and prodded at him with pieces of glass or sticks; some even threw rocks at him to silence him.

"My name is Albert, and it's not a great pleasure to meet the likes of you." The spider turned to the owl, waved nonchalantly, and returned to Sonora. "Ah here we go." He pulled out a small vile of greenish liquid. "Now this won't taste very good, I'll promise you that. You have to drink as much as I tell you to, though." Sonora nodded feebly and I helped her sit up.

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><p>The spider tipped the vile into my beak and the liquid poured down my throat. I coughed and gagged because it tasted fowl; then clenched my beak shut so as not to scream. After I recovered from the bout of mind-numbing pain I'm able to speak, "You weren't kidding. That has to be the most disgusting thing I've ever let in my mouth." The liquid cooled the pain a little, though, and that was either because I was dying or the anti-venom was really working.<p>

"Strong poison calls for strong remedy." Albert replied and brought the vile back to my beak. "Sorry about the taste; I'm still working on the recipe." I could slowly feel the fire subsiding. My vision begins to clear too, and I see that Nico was still a bit in shock; not to mention in pain from his wing.

"I guess that's what I get for trying to show off." I chuckle and don't gasp in pain like before. Then I turn to my sunbeam. "Nico, baby, you need to get your wing fixed. If it heals funny we won't be able to dance together anymore." I wiped away a few more of the tears that were streaming down his face, and gave him a soft kiss. He smiled faintly, and blinked away the rest of his tears.

"I'm not leaving you, I told you that already." The canary murmured, and scooted closer to me. His undying loyalty warmed my slowly beating heart.

"You don't have to. I've got everything I need to help right here." Albert finished pouring the vile down my throat and patted the pouch. He pulled out a leaf wrap full of herbs, a few bandages, and two flat sticks and began to bind Nico's wing. He also spreads a salve on my wounds and bandages them as well. After a few gasps and shouts from getting the bones set, Nico was, like me, getting sleepy eyes. We yawned and I tried to stretch a little; bad idea. Every muscle screamed furiously at me to not move again.

"They're exhausted. All they really need now is lots and lots of sleep; and make sure that neither one of them does any flying until I say that they can." Albert tucked the last of his supplies into his pouch and scuttled off towards the jungle. "Now, I need to go whip up some more of the anti-venom so I'll bid you all good night."

"Good night Albert." Nico and I chorused. "Thank you so much." Nico said meaning every syllable.

"My pleasure." The spider winked four of his eight eyes and smiled best he could back at us before he disappeared.

"We'll take them to our nest, it's bigger." Eva said quietly to my mother.

"Alright, but I'm coming over first thing in the morning." My mom told her, then she kissed my, and Nico's foreheads and took off with my dad who had just finished hugging us.

"You mind if I bunk with you guys?" Pedro asked shyly looking at the ground.

"Sure thing. We've got lots of room." Eva replied kindly, causing the cardinal to smile brightly. Then she and Rafael hovered above us sundrops, and we were gently lifted off the ground. Soon we were soaring through the night sky to the toucan's platform nest. Eva set me down gently and her mate did the same with Nico. Then they snuggled up next to each other on the nest in a warm ball of black and white feathers.

"Good night Daring Duo. We'll see you when you wake up." Rafael wished us goodnight and placed his head on top of his mate's. Pedro hugged Nico and I gently, wished us goodnight, then found a nice corner to curl up in; in doing so he turned into a grey ball of fluff with a bright red head tucked under his wing. Smiling, I looked over at my sleepy, brave, wonderful Nico.

"I can't believe we did that." I whispered so as to not disturb the sleeping birds around us. He stood and stepped over to settle next to me.

"Me either. I thought we're both going to die." His amber eyes looked distant. "But when I saw you crashed there on the ground, all I could think was that I was losing you again." Then his eyes glazed over, "I thank God that that spider was there." He wrapped his good wing around my body and I snuggled closer to him.

_It's good to be back. _I thought with a smile. His familiar heartbeat wafts steadily into my ears making me relax as a feeling of perfect security enveloped us. "I do too." I sighed, "When you started falling, I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to hold you up because of my wing. Somehow I got the strength to do what I did." Then I looked up at him, pushed his bottle cap back and smiled, "I missed you _so_ much." I looked Nico in the eye, and much to my elation, they were full of love, adoration, and loyalty.

"You were wonderful tonight. I'm sorry you're first Carnival ended the way it did." He pecked my cheek.

"Not my first mind you." I smiled and he chuckled deep in his throat.

"Alright, first one in a while." He waved the tip of his good wing, which was wrapped around me, sarcastically. Then he looked back down at me with a smile.

"At least we're here now," I told him, "And we will be forever." Determination flooded me. _This is NOT going to happen again. _

"I love you." Nico whispered snapping me away from my thoughts with the kindest words I had heard all day.

"I love you _more_." I replied, and kissed him strongly, letting my emotions flow through the kiss. My sunbeam moved his wing from my back to the back of my head, and I was back, never to leave again.


	12. Chapter 12: A Year Later

**And New Chapter 12! I hope you all enjoyed the edits and are excited for more. They'll be coming, just slowly. XD**

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

**A Year Later**

It's amazing how long a year is when you can hardly go anywhere. Everyone brought us flowers, and all sorts of food, as Nico and I healed. At about seven incredibly long months Albert had released us to fly; and boy were we excited! At first it was like we were fledglings again. We had to regain muscle that we had lost, and after about two months we had been back to dancing like we had before.

After a few weeks of practice flights, we went back to Three Amigos, and fixed the place back up. Pedro had kept it in good repair, but he refused to open without us there too. Three weeks before Carnival we had opened for the first time, and the club was an instant hit. The Three Amigos preformed every night, and rumor had it that they were even better than before.

Luís had been found the next morning by humans who sterilized him, and sent him to his actual habitat far away in North America. No one had seen or heard anything from him since. Thank the Lord!

Nico and I returned to Canary Corner, which he had kept perfectly clean and collected. He had even kept our nest, our first nest, and had only cleaned it out since the accident. It had been wonderful to snuggle back up in it, my head on his chest and Nico serenading me to sleep almost every night. It had been far too long.

Pedro now lived in he and Nico's first hollow just across the way from Canary Corner, and loved the bachelor life. Rafael and Eva had had their chicks who they had named Pablo, Angel (Spanish enunciation, and it's a boy's name), and Esperanza, who we call Ezzy for short. They were little balls of feathers and energy, and frequently drove everyone to the point of exhaustion and insanity.

Albert opened his own Apothecary after he had finished with us, and now lead a much less lonely life, considering birds were getting hurt every day, and need his, and the sanctuary's help.

"Sonny! We have to go open! It's gonna be a big night!" My sweet Nico called from our room. I could see him in my mind's eye fixing his feathers, and adjusting that teal-green bottle cap at a slight angle on his head.

"I'm ready," I called teasingly, "What about you?" Adjusting my shawl and smoothing my feathers I turned to see him walk from our room, just as I pictured him.

"Born ready." He came up to me and pulled me to him.

"What have I told you about having that tie too tight?" I teased quietly fixing that golden-yellow sequined tie that he _always _had pulled too tight.

"That it messes with my head…" He rolled his eyes, twisted his wing before placing back on my back, after trailing off at the joke. Then a sly twinkle came to his amber brown eyes and he scooped me up into his wings and kissed me hard. I smiled and returned the kiss sweetly. When we finally ran out of air he set me back down and I just stared into his eyes.

"I love you." We whispered and shared a tight hug.

"Well let's go then!" I took off out the door and flapped to Pedro's hollow. When we made it to his tree Nico and I circled around the trunk calling loudly, "Carnival party!"

"I'm comin' sista!" The red-headed bird soared out of his hollow. I had made him a bright red sequined vest so that we could all have a bit of Carnival sparkle on us.

"Let's go! They're gonna bust down the doors." Nico teased after sharing a chest bump with his brother.

"No," Pedro waved his wings, "I fixed _that_ problem after the first time they nearly killed me to get in there. They are _not_ gettin' through that door unless I say they are." Pedro corrected. We shared a laugh and circled around towards the glittering city we all loved so much.

When we reached the club, the biggest crowd we've ever seen was waiting for us in front. We smiled and circled around the back. Silently we go through the back door and share a quick word with our DJ, a little blue finch by the name of José. He nodded and flew to his perch as we flew to the door.

All three of us put the key in the key hole and placed our wings on it. "You ready?" I asked the boys, looking at them excidedly.

"As I said," Nico shrugged his eyebrows at me, "Born ready. Pedro?" We both looked to our cardinal friend.

"I wanna party!" He threw both wings in the air and let our a strange squawk. "Let's do it! For old times' sake!" We turned the key together, and hustled back to the stage. The door slammed in and guests poured in lead by Rafael, Eva, and my parents.

The boys started with a drumbeat, then as more and more guests filtered in Pedro squawked, and Nico slid his flight feathers along the rim of his hat, gave me the most seductive look ever, and crooned, "Party in the Ipanema baby!" All of us were buried in the song, and I felt excitement pulsing throughout the whole club.

Together we all started the song, "_I wanna party, I wanna samba, I wanna party, I wanna samba. I wanna party and live my life! I wanna party,"_ Here we echoed "party" then looked at each other playfully, _"And fly!"_ We sang together, and shot into the air; Nico flying to the right, Pedro to the left and I shooting right over the middle of the screaming crowd.

Nico hit the stage, tapping on his bottle cap to keep tempo and dancing a quick little samba, _"Imma fly, fly just like a bird," _He sang.

"_But you are a bird."_ Pedro and I pointed out.

"_Oh yea you're right, so let me fly just like a rocket then."_ The canary fixed with a wide grin in our direction. I was dancing around the stage to the fast beat.

"_Ok."_ Pedro and I agreed and Nico rocketed into the air, slapping his wings against his sides.

"_Fly so high that I need to come down for ox-y-gen." _As he falls back down Pedro, the crowd, and I shout "Hey!" This continued after each the other versus.

"_Cause once we started, baby, ain't no, ain't no stoppin' it."_ He leans back to back with Pedro and I and we shimmy around in a circle. _"Cause I just wanna live my life and party. All I want is to be free and rock my body."_ He jumps over to me, _"I been all around the world, and I wanna live my life in Rio. In Rio, cause Rio's the real life."_ He spun me around and threw me in the air. I spin around, and perform a quick little spiral. Until my sunbeam joined me there, and we sang the chorus again; while Pedro break danced on the stage earning more cheers.

"_I'm that samba, samba masta, masta, masta, masta, masta. __You shout samba? I'm gonna get your blasta, blasta, blasta, blasta, blasta."_ I laughed at Pedro's rhyming, and little sense. _"You dance fast, but I dance fasta, fasta, fasta, fasta, fasta. You're too slow… You need to catch up…"_

"_You can dance and dance, but I…"_ I sang out the last note long and strong, while the boys continued into the chorus. "_I wanna party, I wanna samba, I wanna party, I wanna samba. I wanna party and live my life! I wanna party, and fly!"_ Then Pedro cawed, and we started shouting "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" The red headed bird cawed again.

Now it's my turn. When we finished the chorus Nico grabbed my wing and started a fast samba, twirling me around and around, using himself as the axis. Then he pulled me in close, and clinging tightly to one another, we spun around faster and faster until Nico tossed me in the air and I sang, _"Laya, laya, laya, laya!"_ Dancing in the air, all alone with a spotlight on me, I sang my part again, _"Laya, laya, laya, laya! Laya, laya, laya, laya!" _Daintily, I landed back on the stage, facing the crowd from in between my boys, with a dazzling smile. We returned to shouting "Hey!" as Pedro cawed between sets. We continued, getting the crowd more and more involved until the volume of their shouts nearly drowned out the music.

"HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY!" We ended with one last boisterous roar, and a pose. Nico's to my right, bottle cap, as always, cockeyed on his head and beaming at the crowed. Pedro to my left, a playful glare on his face and a flirtatious gleam in his eye. I am in the middle, my wings spread out wide, and a n open smile on my face. _Yes! Yes! YES! I'm back baby!_ I thought. Then José took up the mike and was able to be heard above the crowd.

"And there you are ladies and gentlemen! The Three Amigos!"


End file.
